This is a nationalization of PCT/ES00/00231 filed Jun. 29, 2000 and published in Spanish.
This invention refers to an appliance for squeezing citrus fruits and centrifuging the product squeezed, in which a rotatory milling cone and a rotatory centrifuging bowl are constituted by two respectively independent elements, which are detachable and removable for their cleaning, the said elements being independent to each other in their rotation and provided with speeds respectively adapted for milling and centrifuging.
The appliance disclosed is of the kind in which at least the said rotatory milling cone is driven by a small electric motor.
As devices of the state of the art, EP-A-423457 can be noted in which the cone is rotating at the centre of a stationary filtering bowl, and EP-A-623301, in which there exists. two twin devices, each formed by a cone and bowl integrated in a single rotatory unit.
On the market other appliances are also known in which as well the milling/squeezing cone as the said bowl form a single unit provided with rotating motion, and holes and/or slots are provided at the bottom of the bowl to assist juice from the product resulting from the milling cone action passing strained through them, the said juice, free of the largest pulp pieces goes to a collecting container located under the said bowl while the said pieces of pulp remain in the bowl. As generally the external diameter of the bowl is significantly wider that the diameter of the cone, the external peripheral wall of the bowl reaches, for a same angular speed, a linear speed substantially higher than the linear speed at the base of the cone, which provides an additional centrifuging and filtering action to the pieces of pulp located in the bowl, through holes and/or slots additionally provided for that purpose in the said external peripheral wall of the bowl.
In order to further enhance the said additional centrifuging action on the product squeezed, ES U-9302794 discloses an appliance for squeezing citrus fruits comprising a rotatory milling cone which forms a single part with a bowl comprising a bottom and an external peripheral wall provided with holes and slots for filtering and centrifuging the product squeezed, which is collected in a container. The said part is driven by an electric motor which is activated by downwardly and axially pushing the supporting shaft thereof on a pushbutton for connecting the electric motor to the mains. The appliance shows the feature of adopting two differentiated speed rating, one with slow rotation and high milling torque and another with quick rotation and high centrifuging power. This appliance possesses a mechanism based on gearing, belts and a clutch with which the said slow or quick rotation is selected. Thus, selectively, a juice only strained by gravity from the product squeezed or a juice which is additionally centrifuged can be obtained. Another similar embodiment is disclosed in ES P 8902260.
In above appliances, the fact that the milling cone forms part of the bowl is a drawback because it means that both elements rotate at same time and with same speed, high or slow, that is to say that when squeezing, the bowl also rotates at a slow speed, not suitable for a good centrifuging; when centrifuging, the cone also rotates at high speed, which is not suitable for a good milling and squeezing. Subsequently, a time is required for a good milling and another time for a quick centrifuging, each element wasting the rotation characteristics of the other. In addition, between the bottom of the bowl and the cone hardly accessible corners are formed which make cleaning difficult.
Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide an appliance for squeezing citrus fruits with centrifugation of the product squeezed comprising independent elements for each function and provided with rotating characteristics respectively suitable for the function of each element, that is to say: a slow speed with high driving torque for a milling cone and a relatively quick speed with a reduced driving torque for a centrifuging bowl.
Another object of this invention is to provide an appliance for squeezing citrus fruits and centrifuging the product squeezed which has means allowing, according to the convenience, to operate only the squeezing function, only the centrifuging function or both functions in time, with a subsequent saving of energy and an improvement to the versatility appliance.
Another additional object of the invention is to provide a squeezing appliance in which the parts which are contacting the fruit, pulp or juice, that is to say, a squeezing cone, a centrifuging bowl and a collecting container, are easily detachable and removable and having no corners hardly accessible for their cleaning.
These objects, according to this invention are essentially achieved by providing an appliance for squeezing citrus fruits and centrifuging the product squeezed provided with a milling cone and a centrifuging bowl independent to each other, and provided with rotating characteristics independent to each other, fully or partly mounted within a static collecting container, as well that cone as that bowl being removable, for example, for their cleaning. The said rotation characteristics independent to each other, of the milling cone and the centrifuging bowl are achieved associating the said elements to different shafts, independently driven by different drives connected to a sole motor or several independent motors. Preferably, the said independent shafts of the cone and the bowl are coaxial, the shaft of the cone being in an internal position and protruding at both ends of the shaft of the bowl, which is hollow for that purpose. The cone and the bowl are coupled to their respective shafts by easily releasable embedments.
When both shafts are connected through their respective drives to a sole motor, coupling/uncoupling mechanical or electromechanical means are provided for selectively activating only the squeezing function, only the centrifuging function or both functions at same time. In the event that both shafts are connected through their respective drives to two independent electric motors, electric connecting/disconnecting means have been provided, such as an external switch or selector for selectively activating the said functions. Preferably, the main drive is activated in a very well-known way with an internal pushbutton which is pressed by a downwards motion of the shaft of the bowl when a portion of fruit to be squeezed is applied on it, being automatically deactivated when the pressure on the said application stops.
To prevent splashing produced by an eventual excess of pulp in the bowl during a centrifuging action collecting means have been provided which comprise a small perimetric tank located close to a top edge of a side wall of the said collecting container, the said tank being optionally provided with an annular cover.